The death toll from the floods that struck vast areas in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Sri Lanka in recent days rose again on Sunday, November 30, reaching at least 938 dead and hundreds missing. The authorities in these Asian countries worked to clear the roads of debris, and tried to locate people who were reported missing after heavy rains, floods, and landslides.
In Southeast Asia, Indonesia, the worst-hit country, has recorded at least 442 deaths, while 402 people are still missing, according to the latest report from the disaster management agency.
In Thailand, where at least 162 residents died in one of the worst floods in a decade, authorities continued to distribute aid to tens of thousands of displaced people and work to repair damage.
In Malaysia, floods that submerged large areas of Perlis state caused the death of two people.
In South Asia, the Sri Lanka Disaster Management Center reported on Sunday that at least 334 people had died after a week of heavy rains caused by Cyclone Ditoa, while 400 others remained missing.
Expected warships
In Indonesia, at least two cities on the island of Sumatra, the most affected region in the country, remain inaccessible on Sunday, and the authorities announced the dispatch of two warships from Jakarta to deliver aid.
“Two cities need special attention due to their isolation: Tapanuli Central and Sibolga,” Suharyanto, head of the National Disaster Management Agency, said in a statement, adding that warships were expected to arrive in Sibolga on Monday.
In Sungai Nyalu village, about 100 kilometers from Padang, the capital of West Sumatra province, the waters had largely receded by Sunday, covering homes, vehicles and crops in a thick layer of gray mud. The authorities have not yet begun clearing the roads, according to residents interviewed by AFP, and no outside help has arrived.
In Thailand, the authorities continued to search for many missing people, and the government implemented measures to help people affected by the floods, including compensation that may reach two million baht (53 thousand euros) for families who lost loved ones. However, criticism of Thailand’s response to the floods has increased, and two local officials have been suspended.
A third of Sri Lanka’s population is without electricity or running water
In Sri Lanka, as Cyclone Ditwa moved toward India on Saturday, entire areas north of the capital, Colombo, were submerged on Sunday. “Although the cyclone has already left us, the heavy rains that fell upstream are now inundating the low-lying areas along the banks of the Kelani River,” a DMC official said.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared a state of emergency on Saturday, giving him expanded powers to manage the crisis. The army was mobilized to support rescue operations. Sri Lanka launched a request for international aid for about 833,000 displaced people, in addition to 122,000 who are being cared for in temporary shelters. According to authorities, about a third of the population remains without electricity or running water.
This is the worst natural disaster the country has witnessed since 2017, when floods and landslides left more than 200 dead.
With RFI and AFP